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WRCC members Charlotte Richardson and Melissa Hill sit down to chat with Coach Diane Wholey, an international and collegiate coach for more than 35 years, in this part 1 of 2 interviews.
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Two life long women runners, who are also Nike executives, talk with WRCC founder Charlotte Richardson about leadership and how important it is for successful coaching. Being a strong leader, having a vision, and communicating that vision to your team and staff will help make your team more cohesive and successful. This interview offers useful and important information for successful leadership in coaching. In part two of our interview on "Leading in Coaching", our panel continues their discussion of leadership and how it applies to coaching. WRCC founders Charlotte Lettis Richardson and Melissa Hill along with member Laura Caldwell take us through how we can encourage and recruit more women to the coaching ranks in this WRCC interview. Coach Tania Fischer was a successful age group, college, and professional runner. In 1996 she qualified for the Olympic Trials 5000m with a time of 15:33. Tania later went on to co-found The Janes Running Club as both a runner and their coach. She currently holds the had coaching position for both boys and girls in XC and Track and Field at Santa Monica HS. Tania talks about her early days in So Cal as a top age group runner, her two years running in Germany under the government system, and her transition to head coach at Santa Monica HS. Her story is fascinating and informative about coaching, being a leader, and her experiences as an elite runner. - Charlotte Richardson In a continuation of Charlotte Richardson's interview with Tania Fischer, they discuss The Janes TC and coaching the Santa Monica HS XC and track and field teams in Part 2. Check out the first in a series of Women’s Running Coaches Collective interviews on video “Conversations on Coaching” with Resolute Track Club founder and hurdle/sprint coach extraordinaire, Christina Whitney. Great advice on coaching T & F, being a female coach, and how to “Ignite the Fire” in your athletes!  The Women's Running Coaches Collective exists to support, unite, inform, inspire, encourage and empower women coaches at all levels of our sport. Coaches, The Women's Running Coaches Collective has moved to our very own website and we invite you to join us @www.womensrunningcoaches.org We will continue to send our interviews and articles by mailchimp, but encourage you to check out our website on a regular basis. There will be more information, resources, and news AND we keep all of our articles archived...so if you missed one, want to refer back, or share with a friend, go to our WRCC website. The Women's Running Coaches Collective Committee Laura Caldwell Marie Davis Markham Tania Fischer Melissa Hill Helene Hutchinson Charlotte Lettis Richardson Robyn McGillis Kathy Mills Parker Nikki Rafie Christina Whitney Amy Yoder Begley Alison Wade's "fast-women.org" chronicles these extraordinary times of women's distance running Alison Wade's fast-women.org is a weekly newsletter covering women's competitive distance running. From track to roads to cross country, Alison scours the results, the podcasts, the races, remotely and on sight, to help us see the rapidly changing world of women's running. It is the most comprehensive and detailed look at the sport to date, and it brings the reader deep into the world of women's competitive racing. Through Wade's reporting, we experience the races as they unfold. The competition, the race strategies, the missteps, the brilliance, the joys and the disappointments. We feel as if we are there, in the midst of the race, and we understand what it is to be a competitive women runner in 2020. Her extraordinary breadth of information, informed by her personal knowledge and experience as an athlete and a coach, helps to illuminate the competitive sport of women's running. We see the sport as it is today, following the legends, and discovering the newcomers. Her reporting, observations, and opinions make fast-women.org the very best chronicle of women's competitive racing out today. Alison Wade grew up in the small town of Amherst, Massachusetts. She ran at Amherst High, and later at Bowdoin College. From 2001 - 2013 she coached at both the high school and college levels. Her writing and web editing career include running two websites about men and women's competitive running for the New York Road Runners, and freelancing for Runners World. Her unique ability to report so skillfully what may be a Renaissance of women's distance running, leaves you almost breathless. If you haven't already, go to www.fast-women.org and sign up for her newsletter. She writes so deftly on this astounding period in the history of women's distance running. You don't want to miss it. Read Alison Wade's interview below. She has so much to say about this exciting and changing times we are in. There are so many fast women and fast times, and Alison is keeping "track".  "I love that more high level athletes are telling their stories, which are often cautionary tales. If an athlete won’t listen to their coach, maybe they’ll listen to the athletes they’re trying to emulate." - Alison, your background and experience in the world of women’s running is extensive and deep. Can you tell us why you decided to re-start fast-women.org? Do you feel there is a lack of comprehensive coverage in our sport of women’s mid and distance running? How does fast-women help fill this void? When I originally started my website in 2000, I did feel like there was a lack of coverage, for sure. But coming back to it last year, I felt like there was a lack of coverage in certain areas. In others, I felt like there was a lot of information, but it was hard to keep track of it all. It can be hard to keep up with all of the articles, videos, social media posts, and podcasts. I thought I could contribute by consolidating some of it and making it easier to be a fan of women’s competitive distance running. - The amount of detail in your weekly newsletter, fast-women.org, is breathtaking. How are you able to follow women’s running news so closely? Do you travel to events you write about? I don’t have the budget to travel to events, but it’s amazing how much you can follow from home these days. I sometimes know more about what’s going on when I’m not at an event. And I’m only able to follow running news so closely because of the number of hours I put into it; it’s time-consuming work. - At every level of coaching runners there is an imbalance of more men than women in the profession. As you navigate the world of pro women runners, what impact has this imbalance had on women’s professional running? (There are only about 4-6 women head coaches of professional teams.) How can we support and encourage more women to coach at this level, and every level of our sport? What needs to change? It’s hard to say where women’s professional running would be with more women in coaching, but I think any time there’s more diversity, we’re better off. I always used to assume that if someone had reached the top level of the sport as a coach, that meant they were a good coach. But over time, I’ve learned that that’s not necessarily true. With a little more oversight, I think we could make that true. In terms of getting more women coaching at the professional level, on one hand, it seems so simple. All it takes is a company giving a woman a chance, like Oiselle has done with Lauren Fleshman. But on a larger scale, I think it’s going to require giving more women well-paid opportunities at the NCAA level, and in order for that to happen, you’d need widespread buy-in from athletic directors. I’d like to see coaching, especially collegiate coaching, become a more family-friendly position for all. Right now, it varies so much from one school to the next. I’d like to see athletic directors sit down and actually try to solve that problem. There are ways to make it all happen, it just hasn’t been a priority within many athletic departments, because so many of us are too busy trying to outwork the competition. We’re the only three-season collegiate sport, and schools need to have policies that account for that. Once we have a greater number of women having success at the collegiate level, I believe that more companies will feel comfortable investing in women coaches at the professional level. And more pros will choose women as their coaches. - The remarkable stories that you have brought us really helps “flesh” out the world of elite women runners. To the reader, it feels as if you are there, and know these women. How do you do your research? I think just consuming all the content and watching races online is my research, some of which I would do for fun anyway. Most recently, I really think podcasts have made such a huge contribution to the information out there, because you can usually learn so much more about a person in an hour-long conversation than you would in an article or social media post. - You ask so many intriguing questions about the sport. What moves you to write opinion pieces? And why are they important? I originally started the newsletter thinking I would just summarize the news each week, and nothing more. But as time has gone on, I’ve begun to inject my opinion in there a lot more. When I feel strongly about a topic, sometimes I just can’t help it. I’ve been in the sport long enough that I’ve seen a lot of patterns and I have a fair amount of experience to draw on. For many years, I was in positions where I felt like there would be negative consequences if I expressed my opinion on a variety of topics. Now I feel like I don’t have much to lose. It helps that I mostly work for myself. And I think that until all of our sport’s (and our world’s) problems are solved, it’s important to keep speaking out. - The WRCC (Women' s Running Coaches Collective) recently presented a session at the Nike Track and Field Clinic for HS Coaches called “Coaching the Young Female Runner”. It was very well attended and received with the audience of about 50/50 men and women coaches. We covered coaching, injury prevention, nutrition, and a presentation of “Girls Talks”. We feel this important topic needs to be talked about at every level of our sport. How can we get more information out to better support girls and women in our sport? It sounds like you’re doing a great job. I’m trying to do my part too, just by helping spread information. I think more of that needs to be built into coaching education, in general. All too often, coaching education focuses too much on how to prescribe training, when that’s actually a pretty small part of coaching. Earlier this year, I wrote a piece about what I learned by handling eating disorders and RED-S poorly as a coach. I wrote it because I saw other people making the same mistakes I had, but also as a promise to myself that if I ever coach again, I’ll do better. Even when one is well informed, it’s still easy to not get it right. I love that more high level athletes are telling their stories, which are often cautionary tales. If an athlete won’t listen to their coach, maybe they’ll listen to the athletes they’re trying to emulate. - There has always been a network of runners world wide. No matter where you go there is always someone you know or knows you through running--the 3 degrees of separation theory. Do you find this continues to be true among middle and distance women runners? Is there a sense of “sisterhood” and belonging to a pack? How has this helped our sport and why? Do you think social media has had an impact on this? I’ve had times during my life when I’ve felt the three (or fewer) degrees of separation, and other times when I’ve felt a little more removed from it all. Running makes it easy to make new friends, and social media has only helped that. You might feel like you’re the only person waking up at 5:00 a.m. to chase a goal, but then you go on Instagram and find many others like you. At the same time, I still think there are quite a few runners out there who don’t feel like they’re a part of the pack, and I always like to find more of them and bring them in, when they’re interested. - Having been a long time runner and coach, how does this inform what you do on fast-women? Does it give you special insight? I do hope that I’ve gained some insight as a result of my 20 or so years working in the sport and 30 years of being a runner. You see a lot of patterns emerge, and ideally, you learn from your experiences and mistakes and grow over time. - I love the fact that you support all women runners. Pregnant women, women with children, transgender women, professional and amateur, etc. In the 70’s and 80’s many of us retired because we were over 30 or were having children and families. The fact that women are running longer has changed the nature of the sport. How do you feel we can continue to expand the numbers of women runners? How does this help improve the sport? What do women runners of all “speeds” get from your newsletter? We need more racial and socioeconomic diversity in the sport. Getting more people running is always going to be a good thing. If everyone in this country did some form of exercise every day, who knows what we could collectively accomplish. But in order to get more diversity in the sport, we need to put more women of color on magazine covers, and we need to celebrate them in our coverage of the sport. We need to create more opportunities for a wider range of girls to try distance running, and to see others succeeding at it. And to attract more socioeconomic diversity, we need to stop making running an expensive sport when it doesn’t need to be one. Though my newsletter focuses on fast runners, I think everyone can take something from it, because those runners usually get to the top by learning from their mistakes. Plus I think a lot of people can appreciate any time someone selects a goal and goes after it with everything they have. - What do you think running and sports in general give to girls and women? What do athletics bring into their lives? I think running, particularly distance running, can be life-changing in so many ways that it’s hard to describe it all and be concise. It helps develop discipline, self confidence, resilience, and so much more. It also tends to make us happier, which carries over into all areas of one’s life. - How have the elite women runners reacted to fast-women? Many years ago there was a women’s Track and Field News. It was on pink paper! We all looked forward to each issue even though much of the news was months old! You are sharing women’s running news and experiences in almost real time. Why is this important? I didn’t know about the pink Track & Field News. Wow. I think it’s great that we can share information in real time now, because it serves as great motivation to read about what others are achieving, and it’s easier to learn from one another. There were so many stories of Olympic Trials Marathoners reading others’ stories of qualifying for the race, and thinking if she can do it, maybe I can, too. As for elite runners’ reactions, the ones I’ve gotten have been positive. One runner said she’s thankful she doesn’t have to wade through LetsRun.com for the information she needs anymore, since that’s traditionally been a hostile place for top runners and many women. - Knowing the history of women’s running helps us understand where we have come from. You are on the cutting edge of our sport with your weekly reports on the results, developments, and changes in women’s running. What do you see in the future for our sport? I know what I hope to see, and that’s more women in leadership positions throughout the industry, and more diversity among the participants and leaders. As for the rest of it, I can never tell where it’s going. So many trends and ideas come and go, but it’s fun to just be along for the ride and see what happens next.  Alison Wade with her twin daughters Coach Marie Davis Markham |
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(From top and clockwise) Marie in a mixed age 1500, giving her dad a high five, and running a Lincoln HS Relay
Can you talk about the coaches you have had in your life and their influence on you and how you coach? Could you describe some of the positive coaches and their coaching style and influences on not only your running, but also on your life?
I hit the jackpot with coaches. I could talk about them forever.. I believe my competitive career was so long because I had many people looking out for my best interests--coaches who wanted to see me improve but not at all costs. They saw their role as a chapter in my running story. I PRed every season of my life except for my last two years on the Farm Team.
My first coach coached me from a youth runner through high school. His name was Alex Wright and he was magnificent. Most of my memories are from laughing our way through practice. He had the corniest jokes and he’d laugh at himself more than we would. He understood how to coach youth runners. We didn’t run much at all. In fact, in high school I only ran 15-20 miles a week. The focus was all on speed and our running form. We ran short and fast all the time with big recovery. He completely instilled the love of running in me and taught me that you don’t have to run a ton to be good!
Another high school coach was Mr. Bailey. He influenced me to see running within a big picture. To realize it wasn’t everything and that being a well-rounded person was going to serve me well in life. My last year in high school I was coached by Bob Williams. It was the first time I was really ready to make running a priority. He also excelled at asking the right questions. I have this feeling he came to practice with a couple workouts up his sleeve, would question me on how I was feeling, and then adapt the plan to my day--a true magician of a coach. Asking the right questions at the right time is a huge goal of mine and still feels really challenging.
Tom Heinonen was my college coach at Oregon. He took my low mileage in high school and saw that as a strength. My transition was flawless--gradually easing me in but focusing on my strengths. Just like high school, we ran fast with lots of rest. It was perfect for me. More than anything, Tom was a constant support in my life. I could go to him with anything and I did!
Lastly, I’ve been influenced by the current head coach at Lincoln, Eric Dettman. Being on the coaching side of things, I never realized how much thought went into every part of the team. Eric is a dynamic person and the relationships he builds among the athletes and coaches is something you can’t coach. He’s challenged me and pushed me to do more, giving me the confidence to build relationships and trust who I am. Those things in turn have made me a better coach.
I hit the jackpot with coaches. I could talk about them forever.. I believe my competitive career was so long because I had many people looking out for my best interests--coaches who wanted to see me improve but not at all costs. They saw their role as a chapter in my running story. I PRed every season of my life except for my last two years on the Farm Team.
My first coach coached me from a youth runner through high school. His name was Alex Wright and he was magnificent. Most of my memories are from laughing our way through practice. He had the corniest jokes and he’d laugh at himself more than we would. He understood how to coach youth runners. We didn’t run much at all. In fact, in high school I only ran 15-20 miles a week. The focus was all on speed and our running form. We ran short and fast all the time with big recovery. He completely instilled the love of running in me and taught me that you don’t have to run a ton to be good!
Another high school coach was Mr. Bailey. He influenced me to see running within a big picture. To realize it wasn’t everything and that being a well-rounded person was going to serve me well in life. My last year in high school I was coached by Bob Williams. It was the first time I was really ready to make running a priority. He also excelled at asking the right questions. I have this feeling he came to practice with a couple workouts up his sleeve, would question me on how I was feeling, and then adapt the plan to my day--a true magician of a coach. Asking the right questions at the right time is a huge goal of mine and still feels really challenging.
Tom Heinonen was my college coach at Oregon. He took my low mileage in high school and saw that as a strength. My transition was flawless--gradually easing me in but focusing on my strengths. Just like high school, we ran fast with lots of rest. It was perfect for me. More than anything, Tom was a constant support in my life. I could go to him with anything and I did!
Lastly, I’ve been influenced by the current head coach at Lincoln, Eric Dettman. Being on the coaching side of things, I never realized how much thought went into every part of the team. Eric is a dynamic person and the relationships he builds among the athletes and coaches is something you can’t coach. He’s challenged me and pushed me to do more, giving me the confidence to build relationships and trust who I am. Those things in turn have made me a better coach.
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(From top and clockwise) With her teammates and Coach Heinonen at University of Oregon; with Lincoln XC Team and Coach Dettman (top second from right) in 2019; and at the Foot Locker National XC Championships with Coach Alex Wright (far left)
I am fascinated by the duration of time you have been involved in running? Why do you think you made it this many years and still love it? (So many age group runner’s burnout and don’t make it to the level you have.)
First, I had so many people who truly cared about me as a human before a runner. My parents were adamant that my mileage remained low and that I participated in many sports. I played soccer through 8th grade, skied in the winter and played basketball through my Junior year in high school. I was a full time "tom boy". I struggled when identified by others as a runner. I pushed that label away as much as I could. Don’t get me wrong, I was proud of my accomplishments but I didn’t want that to be who I was. I just wanted to be Marie.
My coaches were also crucial in my development. My mileage was always low. I ran 15-25 miles a week in high school with a focus on speed and running form. In college I got up to averaging around 35-45 miles, with a peak week around 55 or 60 miles each season. I remember those weeks, I felt like I was running every moment of the day.
Because of my low mileage, I was only injured two times--once in college and once in 2004, which ended my career. I feel that I had momentum every year to build on what I had just done because I never had to sit out. And with that momentum it made me more confident and ambitious.
In hindsight I think I did a really good job of recovering. I took my easy days easy when my body was tired and I took one month off after every season. No running at all. More than anything, that month gave me a mental break from the pressures I felt as a runner.
It also helps that I am extremely competitive. I really don’t like to lose at anything. I would get into races over my head and that competitive fire helped me succeed in situations where I probably shouldn’t have.
5. How does the four years of your HS career differ from the four years of a young female runner’s life in 2020? Please paint us a picture of changing times, if any?
How does the 4 years of your HS career differ from the 4 years of a girl runners life in 2020? Please paint us a picture of changing times, if any?
Overall I think they are very similar. Teenage girls are going through a lot of changes physically and socially no matter when they are in school. There are a lot of pressures to look or act a certain way. The challenges of adolescence is comparable. What is different is the access to science and knowledge. We know so much more than we did in the 1990’s. In that regard we also know so much more about what our competitors are doing. That can be hard. Often I see athletes focusing more on their competitors’ performances than their own. They can find out how other athletes are doing in real time. Often that takes energy away from their own journey.
How has being an age group runner, an elite runner, and now a recreational runner informed your coaching style?
Being a lifelong runner has helped me appreciate what this sport can give you during all times of your life. I believe I have a perspective that many don’t have. As a coach I think my experience across different levels of running makes me more relatable. The kids know I’ve been there. They know I understand where they are and I feel they come to me asking for advice. As a coach my strengths aren’t writing the workouts but rather helping them develop confidence and putting things in perspective.
What keeps you putting on your training shoes and going out the door to run?
Running has become my therapy. I now run to clear my mind. It gives me time to think and reflect about life. To slow down, step away from technology and the demands of being a mom, wife, teacher, coach and friend. It really gives me time to take care of myself emotionally. I’m happier when I’m getting a couple runs in a week.
First, I had so many people who truly cared about me as a human before a runner. My parents were adamant that my mileage remained low and that I participated in many sports. I played soccer through 8th grade, skied in the winter and played basketball through my Junior year in high school. I was a full time "tom boy". I struggled when identified by others as a runner. I pushed that label away as much as I could. Don’t get me wrong, I was proud of my accomplishments but I didn’t want that to be who I was. I just wanted to be Marie.
My coaches were also crucial in my development. My mileage was always low. I ran 15-25 miles a week in high school with a focus on speed and running form. In college I got up to averaging around 35-45 miles, with a peak week around 55 or 60 miles each season. I remember those weeks, I felt like I was running every moment of the day.
Because of my low mileage, I was only injured two times--once in college and once in 2004, which ended my career. I feel that I had momentum every year to build on what I had just done because I never had to sit out. And with that momentum it made me more confident and ambitious.
In hindsight I think I did a really good job of recovering. I took my easy days easy when my body was tired and I took one month off after every season. No running at all. More than anything, that month gave me a mental break from the pressures I felt as a runner.
It also helps that I am extremely competitive. I really don’t like to lose at anything. I would get into races over my head and that competitive fire helped me succeed in situations where I probably shouldn’t have.
5. How does the four years of your HS career differ from the four years of a young female runner’s life in 2020? Please paint us a picture of changing times, if any?
How does the 4 years of your HS career differ from the 4 years of a girl runners life in 2020? Please paint us a picture of changing times, if any?
Overall I think they are very similar. Teenage girls are going through a lot of changes physically and socially no matter when they are in school. There are a lot of pressures to look or act a certain way. The challenges of adolescence is comparable. What is different is the access to science and knowledge. We know so much more than we did in the 1990’s. In that regard we also know so much more about what our competitors are doing. That can be hard. Often I see athletes focusing more on their competitors’ performances than their own. They can find out how other athletes are doing in real time. Often that takes energy away from their own journey.
How has being an age group runner, an elite runner, and now a recreational runner informed your coaching style?
Being a lifelong runner has helped me appreciate what this sport can give you during all times of your life. I believe I have a perspective that many don’t have. As a coach I think my experience across different levels of running makes me more relatable. The kids know I’ve been there. They know I understand where they are and I feel they come to me asking for advice. As a coach my strengths aren’t writing the workouts but rather helping them develop confidence and putting things in perspective.
What keeps you putting on your training shoes and going out the door to run?
Running has become my therapy. I now run to clear my mind. It gives me time to think and reflect about life. To slow down, step away from technology and the demands of being a mom, wife, teacher, coach and friend. It really gives me time to take care of myself emotionally. I’m happier when I’m getting a couple runs in a week.
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Coach Marie Davis Markham running at Lincoln HS (left) and the University of Oregon
How did the idea of “Girls Talks” evolve? Did you see a special need in the community of HS female runners?
A life changing moment happened in my coaching career. Two years ago, I was at Steens Mountain Running Camp and my old teammate at Oregon, Melody Fairchild, was holding a girls only session focusing on distance runners and the stigma that they often slow down or regress for a bit while they hit puberty. She was challenging the idea that if we are healthy females and listen to our bodies, not only can we come out of it as stronger runners, but we can improve when our bodies are ready. My girls were thrown for a loop. They wanted to talk and talk and talk about this topic. They were able to connect to what Melody said and they wanted more. Most importantly these girls wanted to bring it back to the team. From that moment on we started a series of female talks that focus on all sorts of topics. Hard ones, complicated ones, easy ones, basically anything.
Please describe “GT” and how it is set up and works? Can you describe a session for us?
The purpose of a Girls Talk is to give the girls a place to talk about issues they may be dealing with at this point in their life. We come together multiple times a year and they suggest topics they would be interested in talking about. Coach Dettman and I also determine topics based on what we think is important at that time. I then create a safe space where we dive into the topic.
We always start with snacks to loosen them up, chat and giggle a bit. Then I follow a pretty strict lesson plan. Being a teacher for 19 years, I think it’s imperative to have a plan. It’s crucial to making sure we meet the objective and also give them time to talk. My goal is that I talk 10% of the time and they talk 90% of the time. It looks something like this:
I see “Girls Talks” as a support group? Do you see it that way? What other ways does “GT” influence girls?
Absolutely! Girls need to talk. Research shows females speak up to 20,000 words a day and males speak 7,000. Our Girls Talk gives them a group to talk about their feelings. As we all know, people behave differently in similar situations. My goal is to give girls the confidence to make great choices guided by believing in themselves, treating their bodies respectfully and respecting others. By having these discussions it gives girls the tools to make great choices when things get tough for them or a teammate. Often times teenagers don’t want to talk with their parents about these topics so having a group like this gives them a place to discuss these issues with an adult who has been in their situation.
What are your goals and hopes for “GT” and where do you imagine it going?
My goal would be all high school and collegiate athletic programs provide female student athletes a space to talk about the challenges females go through physically, academically, socially and within their specific sport--to provide space for discussion to build confidence in girls as they are transitioning through puberty as well as navigating social norms and expectations. It may take some time before we see Girls Talk in all programs so in the meantime I hope to impact my local community and the coaches I know to take this on as part of their practice.
How can a male coach better prepare himself to coach girls and young women?
It’s all about building relationships that are real and authentic. I have seen it done perfectly, with our head coach, Eric Dettman. He isn’t afraid to talk to girls in a real and honest way. He can banter with the best of them, pump up the ones who need it and can be honest when it matters. Girls like to talk, so a male coach who can engage in those conversations, as silly as they may seem, is going to be the most successful.
It is also important for a male coach to truly understand what a female is going through in high school and college. How her body is changing and how that may or may not affect her mood, performance and confidence. It is imperative that a male coach knows the physiology of a female runner at this age.
Could a male coach lead one of the “GT” groups? Explain how? Or not?
Yes! With three things in place, I believe a male could absolutely lead a Girls Talk. First, the girls have to have a relationship where the girls trust him. Second, he needs a strong understanding of the topic they are going to discuss supported by research or literature. Finally, he needs to be able to sit and listen and just let them talk.
A life changing moment happened in my coaching career. Two years ago, I was at Steens Mountain Running Camp and my old teammate at Oregon, Melody Fairchild, was holding a girls only session focusing on distance runners and the stigma that they often slow down or regress for a bit while they hit puberty. She was challenging the idea that if we are healthy females and listen to our bodies, not only can we come out of it as stronger runners, but we can improve when our bodies are ready. My girls were thrown for a loop. They wanted to talk and talk and talk about this topic. They were able to connect to what Melody said and they wanted more. Most importantly these girls wanted to bring it back to the team. From that moment on we started a series of female talks that focus on all sorts of topics. Hard ones, complicated ones, easy ones, basically anything.
Please describe “GT” and how it is set up and works? Can you describe a session for us?
The purpose of a Girls Talk is to give the girls a place to talk about issues they may be dealing with at this point in their life. We come together multiple times a year and they suggest topics they would be interested in talking about. Coach Dettman and I also determine topics based on what we think is important at that time. I then create a safe space where we dive into the topic.
We always start with snacks to loosen them up, chat and giggle a bit. Then I follow a pretty strict lesson plan. Being a teacher for 19 years, I think it’s imperative to have a plan. It’s crucial to making sure we meet the objective and also give them time to talk. My goal is that I talk 10% of the time and they talk 90% of the time. It looks something like this:
- Introduce the Topic/Big Idea and why it’s important or relevant.
- Give examples of times when I was and wasn’t successful in regards to this topic. It is important for them to see I have failed as well.
- Have them reflect on paper to an open ended question. I want them to get thinking about themselves. This is also important for the girls who don’t feel as comfortable talking within a group.
- Provide an article to read that focuses on the topic.
- Now the girls talk. I usually provide an essential question or two that leads them toward my targeted outcome, but I let them talk. I do probe along the way when I feel it’ll push the conversation. This time usually lasts for 30-45 minutes.
- The girls take time to reflect again about their practice as a runner or a female. Usually they are reflecting on something they want to improve on and apply to their life.
I see “Girls Talks” as a support group? Do you see it that way? What other ways does “GT” influence girls?
Absolutely! Girls need to talk. Research shows females speak up to 20,000 words a day and males speak 7,000. Our Girls Talk gives them a group to talk about their feelings. As we all know, people behave differently in similar situations. My goal is to give girls the confidence to make great choices guided by believing in themselves, treating their bodies respectfully and respecting others. By having these discussions it gives girls the tools to make great choices when things get tough for them or a teammate. Often times teenagers don’t want to talk with their parents about these topics so having a group like this gives them a place to discuss these issues with an adult who has been in their situation.
What are your goals and hopes for “GT” and where do you imagine it going?
My goal would be all high school and collegiate athletic programs provide female student athletes a space to talk about the challenges females go through physically, academically, socially and within their specific sport--to provide space for discussion to build confidence in girls as they are transitioning through puberty as well as navigating social norms and expectations. It may take some time before we see Girls Talk in all programs so in the meantime I hope to impact my local community and the coaches I know to take this on as part of their practice.
How can a male coach better prepare himself to coach girls and young women?
It’s all about building relationships that are real and authentic. I have seen it done perfectly, with our head coach, Eric Dettman. He isn’t afraid to talk to girls in a real and honest way. He can banter with the best of them, pump up the ones who need it and can be honest when it matters. Girls like to talk, so a male coach who can engage in those conversations, as silly as they may seem, is going to be the most successful.
It is also important for a male coach to truly understand what a female is going through in high school and college. How her body is changing and how that may or may not affect her mood, performance and confidence. It is imperative that a male coach knows the physiology of a female runner at this age.
Could a male coach lead one of the “GT” groups? Explain how? Or not?
Yes! With three things in place, I believe a male could absolutely lead a Girls Talk. First, the girls have to have a relationship where the girls trust him. Second, he needs a strong understanding of the topic they are going to discuss supported by research or literature. Finally, he needs to be able to sit and listen and just let them talk.
Lincoln High School girls participate in Girls Talks
"Girls need to talk. Research shows females speak up to 20,000 words a day and males speak 7,000. Our Girls Talk gives them a group to talk about their feelings. As we all know, people behave differently in similar situations. My goal is to give girls the confidence to make great choices guided by believing in themselves, treating their bodies respectfully and respecting others. By having these discussions it gives girls the tools to make great choices when things get tough for them or a teammate." - Marie Davis Markham
What do you believe running and competing does for girls? Why would you encourage girls to run or play sports?
Being an athlete is one of the most thrilling and self-fulfilling adventures an individual can embark on. It teaches us so much about ourselves and we learn from every success and failure. Finding that balance between your passion and taking care of yourself as a female is an important lesson. I believe being an athlete puts you in uncomfortable situations and being in those situations is where you are going to grow the most. Athletes also tend to take care of their bodies and have something important to focus on, often that keeps them out of trouble. As a runner, it’s all about you and the effort you put in. What a great lesson to learn!
What coaching differences, if any, do you bring to coaching girls versus boys?
Truly I try and build a relationship with any athlete regardless of whether they are a boy or girl as they all have their unique differences. Getting to know each kid is how you will really connect with them. But generally you will find some commonalities between girls and boys. I think many females like to come together to talk through things and I’m able to provide that for them. I don’t feel the boys need it as much. I have had great conversations with boys but mostly they are one on one. They are just as easy to talk to but they don’t seem to need as much time to work through things as girls do.
Any coaching books or related books you could recommend to us?
I just read “Roar” by Dr. Stacy Sims and it blew me away! So much important knowledge I wish I had known as a competitive runner. I also love the Believe Training Journals. Some of our girls connected with Kara Goucher’s book, “Strong”, about building confidence. Mostly I’m on the search for articles that I can share with the girls.
Being an athlete is one of the most thrilling and self-fulfilling adventures an individual can embark on. It teaches us so much about ourselves and we learn from every success and failure. Finding that balance between your passion and taking care of yourself as a female is an important lesson. I believe being an athlete puts you in uncomfortable situations and being in those situations is where you are going to grow the most. Athletes also tend to take care of their bodies and have something important to focus on, often that keeps them out of trouble. As a runner, it’s all about you and the effort you put in. What a great lesson to learn!
What coaching differences, if any, do you bring to coaching girls versus boys?
Truly I try and build a relationship with any athlete regardless of whether they are a boy or girl as they all have their unique differences. Getting to know each kid is how you will really connect with them. But generally you will find some commonalities between girls and boys. I think many females like to come together to talk through things and I’m able to provide that for them. I don’t feel the boys need it as much. I have had great conversations with boys but mostly they are one on one. They are just as easy to talk to but they don’t seem to need as much time to work through things as girls do.
Any coaching books or related books you could recommend to us?
I just read “Roar” by Dr. Stacy Sims and it blew me away! So much important knowledge I wish I had known as a competitive runner. I also love the Believe Training Journals. Some of our girls connected with Kara Goucher’s book, “Strong”, about building confidence. Mostly I’m on the search for articles that I can share with the girls.
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Coach Markham and her family
 | Marie Markham Davis is the newest member of the WRCC. We welcome her with an upcoming interview about her amazing life, not only as a former top high school runner, collegiate runner at University of Oregon, and professional runner for Nike, but now as a coach at her Alma Mater, Lincoln HS in Portland, Oregon. |
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Index
August 2020 #32-WRCC Interview, "Conversations on Coaching" with Coach Diane Wholey, Part 1 June 2020 #31-WRCC Interview, Leadership in Coaching, Part 1 #31-WRCC Interview, Leadership in Coaching, Part 2 #30-WRCC Interview, Changing the Landscape May 2020 #29-WRCC Interview, Part 1, Tania Fischer #29-WRCC Interview, Part 2, Tania Fischer #28 - WRCC Interview, Coach Christina Whitney March 2020 #27 - Alison Wade & fastwomen.org February 2020 #26 - The Marie Davis Markham Interview January 2020 #25 - Nike NW T&F Clinic- "Coaching the Young Female Runner" presented by WRCC #24 - Nike NW T&F Coaches Clinic November 2019 #23 - A WRCC Interview with Olympian Shalane Flanagan October 2019 #22 - Coach Bob Williams July 2019 #21 - Coaching and Stress June 2019 #20 - Stress in Coaching Survey April 2019 We need your feedback March 2019 #19 - Laura Ledbetter Caldwell, A Master Coach #18 - Dealing With Competitive Anxiety and More With Adrienne Langelier February 2019 #17 - WRCC Panel Discussion @ Nike NW T&F Clinic (Part 2) January 2019 #16 - Joan Benoit Samuelson #15 - NW Nike HS T&F Clinic - WRCC Session #14 - Happy New Year December 2018 #13 - Looking forward to the Future #12 - Running in College November 2018 #11 - Leigh Daniel Cordes October 2018 #10 - Amy Yoder Begley (part 2) #9 - Amy Yoder Begley (part 1) September 2018 WRCC Survey (2 mins.) #8 - Serena Burla (part 2) August 2018 #7 - Serena Burla (part 1) News #6 - The Most Important Coaching Tool - Planning your Season #5 - How to Build a XC Team #4 - Stronger, Faster, Healthier for XC July 2018 #3 - The Big Lie about Specialization in Youth Sports #2 - Coaching & Leadership #1 - A Young Coach's Perspective June 2018 Out of the Blocks! The WRCC |
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